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44
place. Five Nursery Students were appointed during 1947.
There are now three senior students.and six junior students
studying for the Nursery Nurses Examination of the National
Nursery Board. All are making very satisfactory progress, both
in the practical work given at the Nursery and the theoretical
work given at Sidcup Technical School for Girls, at which they
attend on two complete days each week.
"The children have responded well to the life in the Nursery,
and there has been a marked development in the mental and
physical progress of all the children.
" The majority of parents have co-operated loyally and
appreciatively with the Staff on all matters dealing with the
Nursery and its work, thus helping to make the Nursery and its
work an extension of the child's family life.
" The year of work has, I think. been successful."
Elmfield Nursery.
The Matron reports as follows:—
" The past year has been quite successful, and there is still
a great demand for the Nursery, which has been full to capacity,
and places have been made for the admission from the waiting
list of the more urgent cases. All the mothers of the 40 children
who attend the Nursery are in full-time employment, and, in
some cases, the children attend from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.
" The general health of the children has been excellent.
Regular medical examinations have been carried out by Dr. P.
Currie, Assistant Medical Officer, who has expressed his satisfaction
of the physical condition of the children.
" At the commencement of a measles epidemic which
occurred in the Spring, an attempt was made to immunise
certain children, but, unfortunately, all children who had not
previously had measles contracted the disease. Fortunately,
all cases were mild in form.
" An incidence of chicken-pox, which started in the late
summer, continued for three months. None of the children
seems to have been really ill.
" The training of the students continues satisfactorily under
the guidance of Sidcup Technical School, and the lecture courses
have been improved by the addition of teachers for their nursery
subjects. The attendance of students at the Technical School
was found to be imposing a severe strain on the Nursery Staff,
and the difficulty was overcome by the appointment of an
additional nursery assistant.
" The continuance of the life of the Nursery seems to be
nrolonged so long as there is the need for women to take their
places in industry."